Late last month, the CCU launched the CUNY $5K campaign, with a special issue of The Advancecalling for the demand of a minimum $5,000 starting salary per course to be a bottom-line demand for the current union contract negotiations. This demand was endorsed by the Adjunct Project and other contingent activists, and on May Day we took signs featuring it to the union rally outside City Hall. The newsletter, as well as photos of our signs from May Day, are on line here: https://cunycontingents.wordpress.com/

This exciting development indicates real opportunities and challenges for our organizing work. Reports and discussion on the $5K campaign and where to go from here will thus doubtless be the focus of our May 30th meeting, whose importance is heightened by the fact that it is the last of the semester.

Meanwhile, the adjunct healthcare crisis has entered a new and even more disquieting phase, with PSC president Bowen reporting that while efforts continue, “We do not yet have agreement on a permanent program” and “we cannot make a commitment that the current coverage will continue beyond June 30” (http://www.psccunywf.org/media/124028/bowen.adjunct.health.5.2014.pdf ). For its part, the CCU continues its fight for full health coverage for all CUNY contingent employees and retirees. Discussion on this point as well is thus of great importance at our May 30 CCU meeting.